FM in Brussels: “Europe Is Important for Serbia, but Serbia Is Also Important for Europe”

mfa.gov.rs

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated in Brussels on July 17, after a meeting with the European Union’s high representative for foreign policy and security, Josep Borrell, that Europe was important for Serbia, but that Serbia was also important for Europe.

According to a statement of the Foreign Ministry of Serbia, Djuric stated that he and Borrell discussed ways for bringing Serbia and the EU as close as possible in the context of fundamental matters. “Serbia has already made an exceptional step forward in recent years, under the leadership of President (Aleksandar) Vucic, in strengthening our economy, developing infrastructure, the institutions, where we have already surpassed certain European Union members,” Djuric said.

While declaring that Serbia wanted everything it had done well so far to be recognized, Djuric reiterated that the country wished to have “an equal seat at the European table” and not be treated as a second-rate state.

The foreign minister assessed that Serbia would complete all the difficult reforms, necessary for admission into the EU, by 2027. Djuric said he hoped Serbia’s efforts would finally be valorized, 27 years after Serbia took this political path. The minister said that he and Borrell also discussed the position of the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija and many particular aspects of the violation of the Serbs’ collective political and human rights.